bostkom



a. HOLMES @LJ. M. & A. e. BOSTRCM.

AUTOMOBILE CURTAIN.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-9,1915.

Patented Aug. 29, 1916.

2 SHEETSS HEET I.

flframvsr G. HOLMES &J. M. & A. G; BOSTROM. AUTOMOBILE CURTAIN;

APPLICATION FI'LED was 29m.

1 1 95 ,989. fcafaented 29, 1916.

2 SHEETS- -SHEET 2.

warren srA'rEs PATENT canton.-

GUSTA'F HOLMES, JOHN M. BOSTROM, AND AXEL GfBOSTROlVI, OF MILWAUKEE,

. WISCONSIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. as, role.

Application filed August 9, 1915. Serial No. 44,407.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GUSTAV HOLMES, J on): M. Bos'raon, and Anni. G.BosTRoM, citizens of the United States, and residents of. Milwaukee, inthe county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Automobile- Curtains, of which the following is adescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which area part of this specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a curtain for automobileswhich while possessing the desirable features of the folding sidecurtainis capable of being readily detached and is adapted for use withautomobile tops as ordinarily constructed without necessitating specialequipment for its installation.

With the above o j in view the tion consists in a side curtain creasedvertically so as to fold bellows-like with each inwardly folded creaseslidably connected with a guide rod pivotally connected with the edge ofthe curtain so as to swing from a horizontal position to a verticalposition when the curtain is folded.

Another object of the invention is to provide narrow window lights inthe several sections of the curtain between the folds which window lightmay be readily inserted or removed and when in place will present a neatappearance and when broken may be quickly replaced without requiringstitching or skilled labor. I

With the aboveand other objects in view the invention consists in thecurtain for automobiles and the like as herein claimed and allequivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawings of which like characters ofreference indicate the same partsin different viws: Figure 1 is a. viewtaken'from the inside' of the automobile of a curtain constructed inaccordance with this invention, the curtain being shown in its open orextended condition; Fig. 2 is 'a similar view thereof with the curtainin its folded condition; Fig. 3. is an enlarged View of one of thecurtaln window lights with parts broken away and sectioned for clearnessof illustrat on; Fig.

- t is a detail sectional view on the plane of line H, Fig. 3, showingthe locking clip in position for holding the slot-ofthewindow lightframe closed; Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the slot of the lightframe open to receive the light; Fig. 6 is a sectional' view on theplane of line 66, of F 1g. 3; Fig. 7 is a plan View of the curtain inits folded condition; Fig. 8 is an edge view of the curtain in itsfolded condition; F 1g. 9 is a detail view similar to Fig. 3 showing amodified form of the light frame; Fig. 10 is an outside view of 'aportion thereof; Fig. 11 is a longitudinal vertical sectional Viewthereof; Fig. 12 isan edge View of a portion of the frame beforebeingsecured to the fabric of the curtain; Fig.

13 is a sectional view thereof; and, Fig. 14'

is an edge View thereof nected to the curtain.

In these drawings 15 indicates a fragment of an automobile bodyand 16 isthe automobile top thereof mounted on bows 17 as usual. The bows and thebody have turn buttons 18 for engagement with eyeafter being conlets 19in the edges of the side curtain 20..

The side curtain 20 is formed of a waterproof fabric which is regularlycreased along vertical lines 21 so as to alternately fold inwardly andthen' outwardly in the manner shown in Fig. 7 and each of the inwardlyfolding creases is provided near the upper edge of the curtain withmetal loops 22 through which a guide rod 23 passes. The guide rod 23 ispivotally connected at 24 to the rear'edge of the side curtain 20 and atits front end is provided with a ball 25 or other suitable enlargementwhich will prevent its passing "through the loops 22. In opening thecurtain from its folded position shown in Fig. 2 to its open or extendedposition shown in Fig. 1, the loops 2 slide on the guide rod 23 and whencollapsing or folding the curtain said loops travelingon the guide rodserve to guide the. folding operation so that the operation may bequickly performed and the several creases of the curtain will fold inthe proper direction to produce the neat compact ar-- rangement shown inFig. 2 where the curtain is folded close against the rear bow 17. Therear end of the guide rod 23 is slightly curved so that in this foldedposition of the curtainit-will hang downwardly as shown in Fig. 2 andretain the curtain in its folded condition.

Between each pair of creases 21 the curtain is preferably provided witha narrow vertical window light 26 which may be ofjw to the cdo'es of thefabric of the transparent celluloid or other suitable material andinstead of permanently securing these window lights to the openings inthe curtain by stitching them in place and by stitching a binding aroundtheir edges as usual the present invention provides a sheet metal frame27 formed of a. strip of thin sheet metal bent reversely upon itself toform an -shape in cross section, such strip being also bent to form theoblong shape of the opening in the curtain with rounded corners. Becauseof the 8-shape in cross section the f 'anie Qipresents an inwardlyopening groove to receive the edges of the window light and an outwardlyopening groove side nous to ins iting the fiamm of the side ciutain theouter is left siightly GET-GD or i the intermediate poi Lion "i bydotted, lines iu 6 sion of the edge of the ..r';aiii therein and or 28are formed in such interme- "ion e. 'em" I when the inserted A of theframe 1..

i eagainst 6 these 3; (rs or projec co the fabric of'the curtain to thefrainein place and prevent the of the curtain. opening being pulledThese spurs or projections 28 may be formed inthe thin sheet ietal stripof the frame before the frame bent up into shape and pron bl ail/3 ed1095C therefrom.

u er one the name 4 is Mince,

ct 29 extending the full itb t and 1' *eferab y iorn'r 1n the to portionthereof near the outer s est seen in Figs. i and 5 and when lot issprung open as shown in lfi the sheet of celluloid or other materialform ing the window light may be passed through into or out of the innergroove of the frame. When the window light, is in place the slot ispressed to its closed position as shown in Fig. l and a sheet metallocking clip which clamped in place by one of the spurs or barbs 28 isbent down oventhe edge of the frame as shown in Fig. elto hold the slotclosed and thus prevent accidental (llS]')lll(J31llGD i3 of the windowlight. An injured window light may be readily removed however by bendingback the clip 30 and opening the slot as in Fig.

In the modified form of the window light frame as shown in Figs. 9 to 14inclusive, the strip of sheet metal 27 is bent to an S-shape in crosssection so to produce inwardly and outwardly opening groovesforreceiving thcwindow light and the edge of the curtainrespectively asbefore, but the outwardly extending edge thereof is cut obliquely atintervals to form barbs or teeth 28 which are bent towardthe-intermediate portion of the strip as shown in Figs. 12 and 13 sothat whenthe edge of the fabric is inserted in the outer groove and themetal strip is bent thereagainst these barbs will pierce the fabric andbe clenched thereagaiust as shown in Fig. 14. Furthermore this form ofthe window light frame differs from the other in that notches 31 areprovided in the inwardly projecting edge thereof at the sides near oneend, which notches are of suilicient depth to make the opening betweenthem of approximately the wii'lth of the Window light 26 and though theinwardly extending flange remains of full width at the extreme end ofthe frame to form a pocket to receive the end of the window light suchwidth dimin shes on leaving the end of the frame and merges withnarrowinturned flanges which extend to the notches 3'... To insert thewin dow light in the frame of this construction one end of the windowlight is entered through the space between the notches 31 and is pushedinto place in the inner groove of the frame, the flexible Window lightbending as it enters the notches 3i, and then when the lower end of thewindow light is fully seated in the inner groove of the frame the upperend of the window light is bent to permit its insertion in the pocket 32and is sufficiently conveXed to cause its edges to clear the inturnedflanges 33 until it lies flat against the intermediate portion of theframe where its resiliency will hold it in place until it isdesired toremove it by the reversal of the operation for its insertion justdescribed.

' The automobile curtain of this invention may be entirely detached fromthe bows in clear weather and may be quickly put in place when requiredand during threatening weather it may be folded against the bows inposition to be quickly drawn to its open condition, the guide rod 23facilitating the adjustments of the curtain and serving to hold it inits folded condition. The

window lights while firmly held in place by means of the metal frame maybe readily replaced when broken or injured and instead of requiring adays Work of a skilled laborer in removing the fragments and binding andreplacing new window lights as with the stitched method of attachmentthe replacement may be quickly performed by merely sliding the fragmentof the old light I out of the frame and slipping a new window light inplace. The time required in'placing the Window light frames in thecurtain openings in the first place is much less than with the oldmethod of stitching while the cost of the metal frames produced inquantities is approximately the same or somewhat less the window openingso that its edges overlap the edges of the'window opening and a sheetmetal frame bent to an S-shaped form in cross section to roduce anoutwardly opening groove receiving the edge of the window opening and toproduce an inwardly opening groove receiving the edge of the windowlight.

2. A'curtain window light frame for antomobiles and the like comprisinga strip of sheet metal or the like material bent to produce an outwardlyopening groove to receive the edge of the window opening of the curtainand to produce an inwardly opening groove to receive the edge of thewindow light. I

3. A windowed curtain for automobiles and the like comprising a curtainmember 'having a window opening, a window light frame of sheet metal orthe like material bent reversely upon itself to produce an outwardlyopening groove receiving the edges of the window opening and to producean inwardly opening groove receiving the edges of the window light, andbarbs in the outwardly opening groove to engage the edges of the windowopening.

at; A windowed curtain for automobiles and the like comprising a'curtain member having a window opening, a window light, a frame of sheetmetal or the like material bent reversely upon itself to form anS-shaped cross section to provide an outwardly opening groove receivingthe edges of the curtain member around the window opening, and toproduce an inwardly opening groove receiving the edges of the windowlight, spurs formed on the intermediate portion of the frame andprojecting into the outwardly opening groove to engage the edges of thecurtain, there being a slot in the inwardly opening grooved portion ofthe frame through which the window light may pass, and a locking clipsecured in the outwardly opening groove of the frame by one of the spursand adapted to be bent over the slotted portion of the frame for holdingthe slot closed.

5; A windowed curtain comprising a'curtain member having a windowopening, a window light .of flexible material, a frame formed of a stripof sheet metal or the like material bent reversely upon itself to forminwardly and outwardly opening grooves receiving the edges of the windowlight and the edges of the curtain member around the window openingrespectively, and barbs formed in the outwardly turned edges of theframe to engage the curtain member, there being notches formed in theinturned edges of the frame through which the window light may pass onbeing inserted in or removed from the frame.

6. A windowed curtain for automobiles and the like comprising a curtainmember, a flexible light, and an oval shaped sheet metal window frameformed of a strip of sheet metal bent reversely upon itself to form ,anoutwardly opening groove receiving the edge of the curtain member aroundthe curtain opening and to form an inwardly opening groove receiving theedge of the window light, there being notches formed in the inwardlyextending edge of the frame at opposite points to permit of the passageof the Window light therethrough, said inwardly extending edge of theframe forming a pocket at the end of the frame to receive the end of thewindow light and forming a narrow flange extending from said pocket tothe said notches.

7. A windowed curtain for automobiles and the like comprising a curtainmember having a Window opening, a window light of flexible material, anda frame provided with an outwardly opening groove receiving the edges ofthe curtain member around the window opening and provided with aninwardly opening groove receiving the edges of the window light, thewall of the inwardly opening groove being cut away on opposite sides ofthe frame to permit the flexible window light to pass therethrough intothe inwardly opening groove.

In testimony whereof, we affix our signatures, in presence of twowitnesses.

- GUS'BXV HOLMES.

JOHN M. BOSTROM. AXEL G. BOSTROM lVitnesses B. STRAND,

F. \V. LUBE.

